KEEPING IN TOUCH
by James J. Hodl
February 1, 2009
Touch-screen technology has expanded beyond speeding up slot games to helping guests with cash transactions, ordering meals or simply providing directions
In
what may be the shortest evolutionary period on record, touch screens in
casinos have gone from an interesting add-on that replaced or augmented buttons
and mechanical arms on slot machines to a product that can be used throughout
any property.
New uses include helping
guests secure gaming funds, cash out when play is over, order meals, and even
direct customers to places of interest around the property.
“Nearly all of our slot
and video poker machines now have touch screens,” said Mike Mitchell, vice
president of game development at Las Vegas-based Bally Technologies. “And an
increasing number of machines now have two touch screens to expand play in
bonus rounds and offer other interesting features to
players.”
“With the introduction of
touch screens, slot machines became more interactive,” said Lorna Wood, global
marketing manager at the Elo TouchSystems unit of Tyco Electronics, based in
Menlo Park, Calif. “This makes the game better for the player as it allows more
play options that enrich the gaming experience and encourages guests to play
longer.”
And touch-screen
manufacturers are constantly upgrading their products to provide better
features and performance. Working with slot game developers, companies such as
Elo and 3M Touch Systems find out what they would like touch screens to do,
create a solution and then work with the developers to help them make maximum
use of the features in their games.
One recent development
Bally’s Mitchell liked is real glass on touch screens that enable translucent
reels that add a 3-D effect to the action on the screen.
Increased durability also
is in demand.
Elo recently unveiled the
Elo TouchSystems 2240L monitor, which is a more rugged and durable addition to
the company’s portfolio of wide-aspect ratio open-frame LCD touch monitors,
said Wood.
Designed especially for
use in high-traffic casino gaming, video-game entertainment and self-service
kiosk environments, the 2240L is made with heavier-duty metals. Its pure glass
sealed screen that resists damage from spilled drinks, smoke and other
potential hazards found around casinos.
The 22-inch 2240L touch
monitor provides a wide viewing angle and delivers bright and clear colored
text and graphics that retain their integrity through long use, Wood explained.
Offered for seamless fit in gaming applications, it can be deployed in both
landscape and portrait orientations. The front-facing metal-hardened anodized
bezel and L-mounting brackets enable flexible installation in a variety of
casino locations from entertainment to retail venues.
The 2240L includes Elo’s IntelliTouch SAW
(Surface Acoustic Wave) technology, which adds touch controls to a monitor
without surface overlays as tiny transducers create ultrasonic waves across the
surface that when interrupted by a finger triggers the required selection.
A sensation of touch
Another recent
touch-screen advance is tactile feedback technology that gives on-screen game
pads the sensation of pressing traditional mechanical
buttons.
Offered by the MicroTouch
Capacitive TouchSense (MCT) System introduced by 3M Touch Systems Inc.,
headquartered in Methuen, Mass., this next-generation touch interface
can enliven the play of any game, said Scott Hagermoser, 3M gaming business
unit manager. With tactile feedback, players can see, hear and feel the button
selections, giving their favorite slot games a whole new dimension of play, he
explained.
And casinos don’t have to
buy new slots to get this feature. Conversion kits that enable the quick
addition of the MCT System to existing games are being brought to market by 3M
Touch Systems.
Bally’s Mitchell approved
of this technology, noting that “it gives players positive acknowledgement of
their game actions.”
A coming development
from Elo is another technology that ties in play on touch screens with a user
ID. Wood said the system will record who and where the screen was touched, so a
player cannot say after losing a wager that somebody else reached over and
touched the screen, placing a bet the player didn’t intend to
make.
And Wood added that Elo is
rapidly moving its touch-screen technology into the table game market in
automated poker and roulette tables.
On poker tables, players can check their hole
cards and bet virtual chips by touching specific areas on their player position
screens. With automated roulette, players also can place bets on specific
numbers or simply black or red touch areas on a central screen containing the
wagering grid. Without having to move around actual chips, games can move
faster.
Finding the way
Other new uses of touch
screens in casinos are in interactive wayfinder signs that assist guests in
finding anything in and around a casino.
Intended for placement
at strategic locations throughout casino properties, 3M’s MicroTouch ClearTek
capacitive touch wayfinder signs not only tell guests where they are, but by
touching the on-screen map find out how to get where they want to go. Touching
individual locations also explains what they offer, including specials. The
sign offers users a choice of languages too.
Elo’s 1900L and 2200L
touchscreens can be adapted for wayfinder signs, as well as other retail and
hospitality uses. These LCD monitors’ zero-bezel design eliminates the frame
area to create a seamless glass surface for showcasing all forms of video, with
the audio playing from built-in downward-facing speakers. Incorporating
Acoustic Pulse Recognition technology, the monitor reacts to the sounds created
when the surface is touched by a finger or other type of stylus, designating
the specified area on the screen to call up information from directions to
on-premises amenities to calling up restaurant menus.
A full selection of
touch-screen-centered. self-service products for casinos is offered by NCR
Gaming Solutions, Dayton, Ohio. These systems, said Scott Winzeler,
NCR gaming industry marketing vice president, are designed to help casino
operators boost customer enjoyment by helping them do or locate things of
interest by themselves.
The line begins with
gaming floor devices that enable players to get cash to play, streamline TITO
ticket redemption and where guests prefer to deal with a cashier, may the trip
to the cage quicker.
Self-service kiosks
enable guests to bypass the front desk and to check in, including confirming
their reservations, encoding and dispensing mag-stripe room keys, and printing
guest folios. Enabling casinos to get guests into rooms faster during rush
periods and conventions, these kiosks also offer guests the opportunity to
upgrade room accommodations and take advantage of restaurant and gift
offers.
Once checked in, NCR’s
wayfinding product helps them navigate the property with a few deft touches to
the product’s touch screen. If guests want to find a restaurant, they touch the
“restaurants” pad and all eateries on the screen’s map glow green. Press for an
individual restaurant, and information on its menu offerings appears. The
screen even plots the fastest way to the desired location, Winzeler
said.
Other NCR systems enable self-service at
restaurants with pay kiosks where visitors select their meals and pay with a
credit, debit or player card before going to the pick-up location and find a
seat.
James J. Hodl
is a Chicago-based freelance writer covering the gaming industry. He can be contacted at +1 773 777 5710; or by e-mail at j.hodl@worldnet.att.net.
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